Illuminating fixture



April 23, 1940. -r15 2,198,077 v ILLUMINATING FIXTURE Filed Aug. 5, 1938 Izzgerz fo Patented Apr. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES -PATENT OFFICE ILLUMINATING FIx'rUnn.

Darwin Curtis, Winnetlra', Ill. v g Application August 5, 1938, SerialNo. 223,281

2 Claims. (01. 240-4 My invention relates to illuminating fixtures, and it involves the novel idea of positioning an electric lamp and reflector upon or within a movable housing, so that the lamp and reflector are hidden from View when the device is not in use. In this connection I have provided a housing having a front wall constituting a picture, mirror, plaque or other ornamental furnishing such as may be mounted upon the wall or partition of a room. In normal position, when the fixture is not in use, the ornamental front wall obscures the various parts from view as these parts are hidden in a niche or recess in the wall or other support. When illumination is desired, the front wall of the housing is adapted to be moved from its normal position, by tilting or otherwise, and the lamp and reflector will thereby be disposed in a position so that the light rays will be emitted therefrom in the manner desired, either upward for indirect illumination or downward for direct illumination. The movement of the structure is adapted to open or close the electric circuit to the lamp thus providing automatic control of the current.

It is an object of my invention to provide an illuminating device that is novel and dependable in construction, and which is neat and attractive in appearance. Further objects are to provide a structure of this character that is made :0 of few parts; is effective in performing its functions; and is economical to produce so that it may be sold for a reasonable retail price. Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent to persons skilled in the art after the 35 construction and operation is understood from the within disclosure. 'Reference is made to the accompanying drawing that forms a part of this specification, and said drawing discloses a simple manner of practicing my invention.

40 In the drawing: I

Figure 1 is a graphic view showing my invention in use and installed on a wall of a room.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse section thereof drawn to a larger scale. 45 Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a graphic view showing a modified construction.

In carrying out my invention a suitable sup- 50 port is provided, such as the partition or wall of a room shown in Figure l, or a bookcase or shelving shown in Figure 4. In Figures 1, 2 and 3 the supporting or room wall 5 is cut-away to provide an opening 6 into a recess or niche that 55 is open at its vertical front, and I mount a metal box I in this recess to provide a suitable housing for the other elements of my illuminating device.' The vertical front of the box is preferably omitted,=and the margins of certain of the walls adjacent the open front are provided with lat- '6 eral flanges 8 thatv lie against and cover the contiguous edges of the opening 5 around the niche. The illuminating elements, in the form of an electric lamp 9 and a suitably shaped reflector H], are mounted so as to be movable into and out 10 I of the opening or open front of the housing or box "I. It' will be understood that reflector H] is merely typical of any reflecting means which may be employed and that several reflectors may be used in lieu of the single element shown. An 15 'tom edges of vertical side walls I! that are dis- 25 posed in planes substantially parallel with each other andspaced apart a distance less than the width of the opening in the housing or box 7. The top of the carrier is open and the upper margins of the side walls I! are preferably formed in convexcurves. Anangular-shaped stop I8 is detachhbly connected to the top wall of the housing or box and projects down into the carrier a distance sufficient to be engaged by the upper margin of the rear wall 15 of the carrier when the latter is swung outwardly.

The means for mounting the carrier for swinging movement preferably embodies a hinge-like structure which may be of any convenient type such as a leaf-hinge, piano-hinge and the like, the respective members of which may be fastened to the carrier and to the housing or itsflange or to any other suitable support. The hinge structure which is herein shown embodies a hanger l 9 formed of a piece of metal bent L-shape that is bolted or otherwise secured to and depends from the bottom wall of the housing or box I, and in order to accommodate this hanger the bottom wall is provided with elongated slots 20 extending inwardly from the forward portion of the bottom wall. This permits the vertical portion of the hangers l9 to be inserted through the slots with their lateral flanges of the hangers resting upon and secured to the upper surface of said bottom wall. Suitable elongated arms 2| depend from the carrier and embody irregular shaped plates 22 that are secured to the lower portions of the side walls I! of the carrier, the lower portions of said arms being connected by pivots 23 to the plates Hi. This arrangement permits the carrier to move bodily into and out of the housing or box I and pass dead-center in both directions.

Suitable electric conductors 24 pass into the box or housing I through an insulated opening 25 in the bottom wall and lead to the opposite terminals of an electric switch 26 of the mercury type so that when the carrier is in an outward position as shown in Figure 2 the current passes through the switch to the lamp which is'illumihated, and when the carrier is moved into the housing or box 1 the circuit is broken and the lamp is extinguished. Y

In order to obscure the front portion of the structure hereinbefore described, (including the flanges 8 of the box), I provide an ornamental front for the carrier which may consist of a frame 2'! that has larger dimensions than the opening 6 into the recess or niche. The frame 2-! may surround a picture, mirror, plaque, or the like, and it is adapted to be detached from the front wall of the carrier'whenever desired. The mount for the frame comprises elongated metal straps 28 disposed in a vertical direction upon the back of the frame and secured at their ends to the frame in any suitable manner. Intermediate their ends these straps have off-set bends, as at 29, to space their intermediate portions a slight distance away from the back of the frame 21. Suitable key slots 30aremade at upper and lower locations in the ofi-set portions 29 of the straps to receive the shanks of headed rivets 3| that are secured to and project out from the front wall [4 of the carrier. This arrangement permits the frame to be readily removed whenever desired and to-be replaced in a similar manner without the use of tools.

The disposition of the lamp and reflector is such that light rays from the lamp as well as those directed" out of the carrier by the reflector will impinge upon the ceiling and be reflected downwardly in the manner of indirect illumination. Certain of the rays will impinge upon the surface of the wall or partition 5 above the fixture. It may be desired however to employ a structure of this character for direct illumination and in such event the box or housing 1 and the carrier l3 with its appurtenancesmay be inverted and suitable means may be provided, in lieu of the stop l8 to frictionally hold the carrier in fixed position when the apparatus is opened by swinging it outward from the bottom.

I have shown in Figure 4 a modified construction of my invention in which the light from a hidden source may be secured by providing a drawer 32 containing the reflector I 0 and the lamp which are mounted so that when the drawer isv pulled out the lamp will be illuminated and the reflector will direct light rays upwardly to the ceiling. The front of the drawer is made in imitation of the backs of books, so that in closed position the entire structure is hidden within the compartment provided with the drawer in a book shelf, it being understood that the drawer should be in a horizontal plane above the plane of the eyes of the average person in order that the light rays will beinteroepted before reaching a persons eyes.

In connection with the preferred form of my invention shown in Figures 1 and 2 it will be understood the pivot 23 is so located that the carrier l3 and its appurtenances will travel outwardly beyond the dead-center of the pivot when the device is being used, and it will remain in such position during use, and likewise when it isswung inwardly to close the device the carrier will pass to the other side of the deadcenter of the pivots 23 and will remain closed until such; time as it'is desired to again use the light.

What I, claim is:

1. A structure of the kind described embodying a vertical support having a lateral recess; a movable closure-wall extending across the front of and beyond said recess, said closurewall normally disposed in a vertical plane and obscuring said recess; vertical side-walls projecting from said closure-wall into said recess, said closure-wall and said side-walls together providing a hollow body a portion of which is adapted for movement into and out of said recess; means for mounting said hollow body for movement relative to said support to position the closure-wallin a plane'oblique to the plane of said support; and a'lamp mounted within and movable with said hollow body, said lamp adapted to emit light rays in an outward direction away from the recess and between the walls of said hollow body when said closure-wall is disposed oblique to said support.

2. An indirect lighting structure embodying a vertical support having a lateral recess; a movable closure-wall normally disposed across the front of and obscuring said recess; vertically disposed walls projecting from said closure-wall into said recess; said closure-wall and said last named walls together providing a hollow body; a lamp mounted within said body; an inverted reflector surrounding said lamp; and hinging means at the lower portion of said hollow'body, said hinging means adapting a portion of said body for movement into and out of said recess, whereby said closure-wall is adapted to be disposed in a plane oblique to said support with its upper margin spaced from said support to afford egress of light rays in an outward and upward direction from said stiucture.

DARWIN CURTIS. 

